


Confrontation - Imperial Highness Lee

by faustianpixie



Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [26]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Assassin Hoshi, Consort Kwon Soonyoung, Courtier Jeonghan, King Woozi, M/M, Prime Minister Seungcheol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25756897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faustianpixie/pseuds/faustianpixie
Summary: “You know, I went out to the city today.”Widened eyes were his reply.“I-I wasn’t informed.”“Should you be? And shouldn’t you know that a King who doesn’t visit his people and mingle with them will be a blind one.”“If you had told me I would have-”“Steered me away from the rice market?”CONTEXT FOR NEW READERS:King Lee Jihoon recently discovered the identity of his Consort Kwon Soonyoung-Assassin Hoshi. He is enraged to figure out his Prime Minister and brother blackmailed Hoshi to keep that secret and lied about it to his face.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups & Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi & Yoon Jeonghan, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828549
Comments: 22
Kudos: 45





	Confrontation - Imperial Highness Lee

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN~~~  
> I have been getting a lot of love~ Thank you~ I am happy and truly blessed for such an audience~  
> Status update is that i have finished 39 of what will be 52 is excluding prologue and epilogue T_T it just keeps extending tho T_T  
> FAUSTIAN PIXIE

“Jihoon-ah?”

Jihoon pursed his lips.

“Enter, Prime Minister.”

Seungcheol gave him a curious look but Jihoon didn’t let his emotions change his face. Seungcheol was probably wondering why he had called him ‘Prime Minister’ when they were alone. But this matter was something he had to resolve before he addressed the emotion ramifications of the man’s actions

“Close the Door. And sit.”

Seungcheol did so, giving Jihoon a sceptical glance.

“Jihoon, What-”

“How is Jeonghan?”

Seungcheol blushed. It seemed they had reconciled. Lucky them.

“Both of you decided...?”

“...to think of adoption in the near future.”

Jihoon’s lips quirked up slightly before returning. He was genuinely happy but he was not in the mood to celebrate.

“It must be nice. Someone you don’t have secrets from.” He commented lightly.

Seungcheol frowned. Probably he had detected the drawl in Jihoon’s tone.

“What do you mean?”

“Did you hear about the case that the North encountered?”

Seungcheol started at the change of topic.

“I-I am not aware.”

“Heh. Fancy that.”

Seungcheol frowned. He was about to speak, but Jihoon continued.

“This boy. He was kept away from the world ever since he was an infant. In a dark room. Alone. With only food and water provided. He was recently rescued.”

Seungcheol shuddered.

“Cruel right? Hiding so much from him. Those walls become not a palace but a prison.”

“Is there a reason you are using the palace metaphor?”

Jihoon blinked at him. “Is there a reason I should be?”

Seungcheol pursed his lips.

“Have I hidden anything from you?”

Jihoon tilted his head and glared. “Have you?”

Seungcheol shrugged. “If I have, then it would be for your sake.”

“Oh? Just like the boy’s parents? Who thought it would do him good?”

Seungcheol furrowed his eyebrows.

“You know, I went out to the city today.”

Widened eyes were his reply.

“I-I wasn’t informed.”

“Should you be? And shouldn’t you know that a King who doesn’t visit his people and mingle with them will be a blind one.”

“If you had told me I would have-”

“Steered me away from the rice market?”

Seungcheol pursed his lips.

“What did you hear there?”

Jihoon rested his chin on the back of one hand and swirled the ink in the basin with a brush.

“Maybe I should tell you in court?”

Seungcheol glared. “You wouldn’t.”

They glared at each other for sometime.

“You are right as usual, Prime Minister.” Jihoon said, backing away.

“Jihoon-ah. Out with it.”

“Hoshi.” Was all Jihoon said. And he said it with all vehemence he could muster. The readers of this document must understand that this wasn’t directed at the subject but at the listener. The betrayal and vitriol at the deception was almost tasted.

Seungcheol shuddered and seemed at a loss on what to say.

“Now come to think of it, the boy and I share some similarities, don’t you think Prime Minister?”

Seungcheol pursed his lips and looked down.

“We both are deceived by our loved ones. All of our loved ones. We both live in the dark of ignorance. And those walls...they were after all a prison and not a palace as their relatives intended.”

Seungcheol looked up in defiance.

“I did what had to be done. The court-”

“The court doesn’t justify not telling me Seungcheol. Your blood brother.”

Seungcheol stopped talking.

“I feel, justifiably betrayed. And in fact, I heard you didn’t just blackmail Hoshi, Soonyoung, both...but you did so by threatening the lives of his loved ones.”

“It is true ,Your Highness. I did. And I do not regret it because that is the truth. We are all to go to the gallows if the court finds out. And you will send us there.”

“If you told me before I would have protected you. You don’t-”

“If anyone found out I wouldn’t be hurt but Jeonghan would be. And that throne you sit down will stop you from doing what is necessary to free him from that blame no matter how much you claim.”

“So you extort my Consort and claim moral high ground?” Jihoon yelled.

“I am not! I just say you do not have one to tell me that.” Seungcheol replied calmly. As if he was prepared for this day and would do anything to save the ones he loved.

He had heard something similar and seen the same defiant expression just a few hours ago on Kwon Soonyoung’s face.

Injustice overwhelmed him.

“You...you and that Hoshi...you think everyone qualifies for your protection regardless of my emotions and my plight. As if I am not part of the ones you should be protecting.”

Seungcheol’s gaze turned pained.

“Just because I am a King, am I not privy to the respect you give everyone you love?”

Jihoon laughed.

“I guess Kings really are lonely. The Late King was probably right-”

“He was a monster and you are not.” Seungcheol defended. “And you are not alone Jihoon-ah...I am sorry. But telling you would increase your burden-”

“Excuses Seungcheol-hyung.” Jihoon hissed.

Seungcheol stopped. 

The room echoed the silence at him.

“You are right. I don’t have an excuse.”

Jihoon pursed his lips. He was starting to feel guilty but squashed it.

“But since you already know, I have only one request.”

Jihoon scoffed. “Why should I-”

“Just please don’t hurt Hoshi-yah.” Seungcheol said softly. “He didn’t want to hide it from you and I am to blame for his secret. I am to blame for all of them.”

Jihoon was hit with a pang of guilt. He owed an apology to Soonyoung. But his pride...

“As to my plight, you can even remove my position. And Hoshi’s as a Royal Assassin. But don’t take away his Consort title.”

Jihoon wasn’t intending to.

“He really loves you, Jihoon. You aren’t prepared to hear it, but he has loved you ever since he has set eyes on you. And he would probably be crumbling in his quarters now.”

There was a deep sadness in Seungcheol’s eyes.

Jihoon’s heart clenched in guilt. He had hurt Hoshi. It shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it was.

And Seungcheol’s selfless attitude was not helping his judgement work. Life turned out wasn’t as easy as black and white.

“As to your situation, I want full disclosure from now on. One more incident like this and I will drag you out to court. And I will need more time to forgive you Seungcheol-hyung...I feel hurt.”

Seungcheol nodded gravely and moved to leave with a defeated slump.

“And I have an order to be executed.”

Seungcheol paused.

“Bring two boys, Seungkwan and Vernon, from the rice market to live with Chan-ah. He needs friends like them.”

~~~~~From the Private Account of the 6th South East King, Lee Jihoon, Woozi~~~~~

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT SO FARRR~~~~  
> I know its kinda conflicting...like who's side do you pick? but I also think it would be simplifying the problem to ask that, so....we gonna just put this out there and hope for a ood response.  
> Dialogue and character wise I think this is one of my best. T_T. Next two are for the comic relief of the author T_T pls bear with me!  
>   
> QUESTION FOR COMMENTS: What do you think had changed in Seungcheol and Hoshi's relationship between past and present?  
>   
>   
> PLEASE COMMENT YOUR CHOICE AND ANSWER BELOW  
>   
> PLEASE COMMENT IN GENERAL T_T  
> THANK YOUUUU  
> FAUSTIAN PIXIE  
> @Myalurks This is my public twitter ID! Do interact uwu


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